Friendly Fire
by SicklyRaven
Summary: Set between the last battle against Malpercio and the feast in Komo Mai. Savyna asks Kalas to keep his promise.


TITLE: Friendly Fire

CHARACTERS: Savyna, Kalas

GENRE: Friendship, Drama

SPOILERS: up to and including BK CD2 - Cor Hydrae

SUMMARY: Set between the battle against Malpercio and the feast in Komo Mai. Savyna asks Kalas to keep his promise.

DISCLAIMER: Don't own anything, but hopefully I won't get sued... After all the Monolith/Tri-Crescend guys should be grateful to me for trying to complete all the stories they didn't give a proper conclusion to! ;P

* * *

"Kalas, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure." Kalas excuses himself and parts from Queen Corellia, who was fondly talking to him and King Ladekahn about her plans for the evening's feast in Komo Mai, to follow Savyna into the jungle.

He doesn't want to admit it, but he's a little nervous: he's never been alone with her before, and she's not the kind of person who likes to talk unless something very important is going on. Plus, he's not sure it's safe for the two of them to go wandering through the jungle alone; after all Malpercio has just been defeated and he has no idea what kind of monsters may still be around.

_Hey, don't forget I'm here too,_ his Guide Spirit steps in, as if she heard his own thoughts. _They just have to try hurting you, and I'll make them regret not being sucked in another dimension like that Mighty Destruction God of theirs._

Kalas can't hide a little smile. "I know. I'd never forget about you."

Savyna looks at him for a moment, maybe wondering who he was talking to, but doesn't say anything and keeps walking in silence.

She stops when they get to a clearing, a tiny open space where for some reason no palm has decided to grow, and stands like that for a long moment, still, silent, apparently looking at something distant that no one else can see. Kalas is still behind her so he can't see her face, he can't see that single shining tear falling slowly from her eye like a solitary dewdrop falling from a leaf at sunrise... And then she turns to face him and it's all gone, she's once again the strong, unbreakable woman that used to scare his own companions so much to earn herself the nickname "Lady Death".

Under the surprised stare of Kalas she throws her brass knuckles to the ground and takes a long dagger from its sheath. She moves so slowly, as if she wanted the moment to be solemn and important - or maybe she just wants it to last as long as possible. Then she hands the dagger to Kalas.

"Do what you have to" she says simply.

Kalas looks at her, then at the dagger, then at her again. "... What?"

"You know what I mean. I was there when your family was killed... I wanted to help put an end to this mess before, but now the mission is accomplished you can take your revenge."

Now that he has understood what she wants from him, Kalas looks even more amazed. "I'm not going to stab you, Savyna!"

"Why not?" she asks, her voice as quite as always. "You swore to never forgive the murderers who killed your brother and your grandfather. To find them and kill them... All of them. Well, I'm one of them" she hands him the dagger once again "and I deserve to die. So, come on... Just do it."

Hesitantly, Kalas takes the dagger. It's cold and heavy in his hand, just like the heart in his chest. True, he sworn to avenge Gramps and Fee... He thought his hate would never end. Never. How could he ever forget what the Imperial soldiers did? How could he ever forgive them?

_... But you felt sorry for Giacomo when you saw him die, not a dredful foe anymore but just a man, weak and lonely before death; and you felt grateful when Ayme and Folon joined the governors of the islands with their power and managed to destroy Cor Hydrae's shield; and I know you'll feel guilty forever if you kill Savyna now, because no matter what happened before you two even met, you are friends now. And now is all that counts._

Kalas smiles. His Guide Spirit is right - as always.

"What are you waiting for?" asks Savyna. "I'm serious, Kalas... I don't even know what else I could do now. My life is over anyway, and I want you to be the one to kill me. You deserve this."

"Listen to me, Savyna... I can't tell you what to do with your life. If you want to get murdered, that's your choice. But I'm afraid you'll have to find someone else to do the dirty work for you. You're my friend - and I don't hurt my friends. Not even for vengeance." Kalas lets the dagger slip from his hand and fall to the ground, where it won't be able to hurt anyone. Before leaving, he turns one last time to look at Savyna. "I'm not that person anymore."

"Wait..." Savyna stops him. They look at each other for a long moment, searching for the right words to say, then she simply murmurs: "Thank you."

"For what?" Before she can come up with any answer he adds: "I'll see you at the party", and leaves.

Savyna stands there for a while, waiting for her heart to stop beating so fast and for the storm of thoughts in her mind to calm down. Then she picks up her brass knuckles and heads for Komo Mai - and her new life, whatever is going to come with it.

Left behind, the dagger lies to the ground. Its blade is a dark red, as if it was covered in blood... but it's just the light of the dying sun playing on it with its last rays.


End file.
